Rajouri, October 1
In what is considered a landmark verdict in the troubled state, a local district court today awarded the death penalty to a convicted militant, Muhammad Younus alias Amir Khan, for murdering five members of a family in the Rajnagar area of Buddhal in October 2005. Pronouncing the sentence, district judge Subash Chander Gupta ordered the militant to be hanged to death at a yet undecided date.

As per the details of the case, in October 2005, Younus and four of his accomplices had entered the house of Munshi Ram in Rajnagar village in Budhal in Rajouri, 180 km northeast of Jammu, and slit his throat as well as that of his brother, his two sons and a nephew. Younus was later arrested in 2006.

This is believed to be the first case where a militant involved in massacre has been found guilty and sentenced to death in Jammu & Kashmir, where militancy has been raging for the past two decades and has led to the deaths of over 50,000 people.

The hilly regions of Jammu region have witnessed several killings of Hindus, many of them in Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch areas. They include the Rajnagar massacre in Rajouri where 11 people were allegedly slaughtered by militants in October 2005.

Expressing happiness at the court’s judgment, Bhagwan Singh Thakur, a senior BJP leader and a resident of Buddhal, told The Tribune: “It is a victory of the fight for justice by the victims’ relatives and family members and we welcome it”.

Jammu, October 1
A newborn baby boy, who “disappeared” mysteriously from the Government SMGS Hospital here this morning, sent the health authorities and the police into a tizzy for a while before the city police claimed that it found the infant from a house in the Munshi Chak area in the evening.

Official sources told The Tribune that Rishi Kumar Dogra’s wife Priya Dogra delivered a baby boy around 1 am yesterday and she was shifted along with the baby to the ward number 1 of the Paediatrics Department.

However, after the baby disappeared around 11 am today, Priya complained to the hospital authorities, sending them into a tizzy for a while. Panicked by this unpleasant development, the hospital authorities immediately informed the city police. DSP city Swantanter Arora and SHO city Gurmeet Singh started investigating the matter, they said.

The sources said after getting clues, the police team zeroed in on a house in the Munshi Chak area and found the baby. An old man, who claimed that the couple had voluntarily given him the baby, had kept him in his house, they said.

However, Dr Satish Sharma, Deputy Medical Superintendent, SMGS Hospital, said being penury-ridden Rishi Kumar Dogra, a native of Bhaderwah and a petty labourer, had given the baby to the old man.

“He already had one son and had expressed his inability to bring up the newborn. Hence he gave it to the old man,” said Dr Sharma. The mother of the baby had a normal delivery and had been shifted to the ward number 1 of the Paediatrics Department, he added.

Around 4.15 pm, the woman reported that the baby was missing taking us by surprise but by 6 pm the SHO City found it from a house in Munshi Chak, said Dr Sharma.

The couple had been putting up in the Munshi Chak area and the old man lived in their neighbourhood. The baby was found from him, he said.

“We are investigating the matter, but as of now it appeared that the father (of the infant) had given the baby out of his own choice,” he added.

Jammu, October 1
For the 37th consecutive day today, the employees of the Jammu and Kashmir State Roads Transport Corporation (SRTC) continued with their protest against the state government demanding the release of salaries not paid for the past five months along with the benefits of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.

The employees today held a protest rally from their office at Bikram Chowk and marched towards the main Tawi bridge and blocked traffic for almost half an hour. It was only on the persuasion by senior police officers that the blockage was removed.

Around 1,553 SRTC employees in the Jammu region are on strike for the past 37 days demanding the implementation of the agreement reached between the government and the union last year. More than 4,316 employees of the corporation across the three regions of the state, Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir have been holding protests.

“Whenever there is an emergency or need, the government takes our services. We served during the Kargil war, our services were taken last year when no private transporter was ready to take the Amarnath pilgrims. But still we are being given a step-motherly treatment,” said Ashok Mehra, president of the SRTC Workers Union.

The employees allege the government cheated them as their contributions to the GP fund and the CP fund for the past ten years were not deposited in their accounts. “We have the right to know where our money has gone and we ask the government to deposit our money into our accounts,” said Paramjeet Singh, general secretary of the SRTC Workers Union.

He said transport corporations in various states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were under the direct control of the state government, then why it was not so in the state. Mehra said out union wanted the government to completely take over the department and declare it a government department. “We held a dharna on the Tawi bridge and blocked traffic for half an hour. Without salaries, our members are totally frustrated,” said Mehra.

Srinagar, October 1
Emphasising that autonomous character of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) would be preserved, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather today said the government would support financial support to the academy.

“We are facing many financial issues and even though some of these have been solved, I cannot say we have completely resolved the issue. I have been a supporter of autonomy for every department and same holds true for the JKAACL. I, on behalf of the government, assure you that the autonomous character of the academy would not be tampered with,” Rather says.

He was speaking at a function organised by the academy in connection with the 45th state awards and inauguration of a three-day painting exhibition. Appreciating the works crafted by artists, the Finance Minister was all praise for artists and said there was tremendous talent available in the state. Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, secretary of the JKAACL, said diversity was forte of the academy rather than being an issue of concern. “For the first time in 60 years, the composite culture of Jammu and Kashmir was showcased at New Delhi,” he says.

“On October 7-9, we are going to organise a programme at Delhi in collaboration with an NGO in which 300 artists would take part. Similarly, a writers’ camp is being held at Leh and a two-day Kashmiri conference is being held at Kishtwar,” says Manhas.

Awards were presented to Rohit Verma and Gurpreet Kour in the artist category while Hilal Ahmad Khan and Varun Kumar were also given award. Merit certificates were given to Aslam Naqshbandhi, Amit Salathia, Ghayoor Hassan, Kanchan Verma, Sukhjeet Singh in the artist category, while Anish Tickoo, Narinder Kumar and Renu Bhalla got the same in the student category.

Jammu, October 1
Prominent businessman Nagar Singh and two his brothers today submitted bail applications through their counsel before the Principal Sessions Judge, Jammu, in the Amandeep murder case.

However, the Judge transferred the bail application to the Court of the Second Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, Vinod Chatterji Koul.

It may be stated here that in a late evening development the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by DIG, Jammu-Kathua range, Farooq Khan had obtained arrest warrants against the trio after they continuously evaded summons served at their residences to face a police probe.

Nagar Singh, father of the main accused Jatinder Singh, aka Raja, and his two brothers Ujjagar Singh and Rakesh Singh have been accused of paying bribes to influence the course of investigations.

Under Section 497-A Cr PC, the counsels of Nagar Singh, Rakesh Singh and Ujjagar Singh produced the bail applications before the court seeking directions to the respondents (SIT) for releasing the petitioners on bail forthwith in the event of their arrests in connection with the FIR registered.

Vinod Chatterji Koul, Second Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, after hearing their counsels issued a notice to the SIT directing it to file a report and objections to the bail applications.

The bail applications filed on various grounds sought the release of the accused in the event of their arrests submitting before the court that the three brothers were ready to cooperate with the SIT.

Meanwhile, sources said to evade arrest, Nagar Singh had got himself hospitalised in a Mumbai hospital, while his two brothers had gone into hibernation.

After obtaining arrest warrants against them, the SIT had also advertised notices in local dailies directing them to appear before the SIT to face a probe.

Jammu, October 1
The Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation has demanded a national award for 20-year-old Rukhsana, belonging to the Gujjar community, who killed a Lashkar terrorist in Rajouri district a few days back.

Besides, the foundation, an organisation of nomadic tribes, has also demanded a Gujjar regiment in the Army.

The Foundation has requested President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram to present the award to Rukhsana.

“Rukhsana should be honoured with a suitable award of national fame for her feat,” said Dr Javaid Rahi, secretary of the Foundation.

“Through a letter we have requested the Central government to recognise the act of bravery of this young and fearless Gujjar girl,” he added.

The incident occurred during the intervening night of September 28 and 29 in Rukhsana’s house in Kalsi village. Later, the family handed two AK rifles snatched from the terrorists to the local police.

The state government has already announced a reward of Rs 5,000 for her and police protection has been provided to her entire family.

Governor NN Vohra had also lauded the girl for her gallantry.

“We have also made an appeal to the President and the Prime Minister to take a positive decision on our long-pending demand of raising a full-fledged Gujjar regiment in the Army,” said Rahi.

The letter stated that Rukhsana was a real gem and deserved national recognition for the highest degree of service towards the country.

“We the Gujjars of India are proud of Rukhsana. She is our ‘Aruna Asif Ali’ upon whom the government of India had conferred ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1997 in recognition of her contribution as a freedom fighter, including her courage of hoisting the Congress flag in Bombay during the Quit India Movement,” the letter read further.

Srinagar, October 1
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah released 42 books on various subjects pertaining to Kashmir in the presence of intellectuals, writers, novelists, poets, historians, authors and academicians at the SKICC here today.

Renowned historian Fida Hussnain and chairman of J&K Bank Haseeb Drabu, Surya Abdullah Matto, other media and prominent personalities were also present. The Chief Minister’s keen interest in encouraging book writing on various topics pertaining to Kashmir was appreciated on the occasion.

The Chief Minister gave away awards to 15 personalities belonging to different fields, including culture, media and social services.

The important books that were released on the occasion include Personality Behind Oration by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Alamdar-i-Kashmir, A complete history of Kashmir, The Iqbal’s poetry, Essential Sufism, A history of Kashmiri, Ancient Kashmir-a historical prospective, Islam and Kashmir, The Sufi Path of Love, Kashmir mystic thought, Charm of Kashmir, Shri Amarnath Ji Tirtha Kashmir, Ancient political history of Kashmir, British policy towards Kashmir, Sufi path of knowledge, Sufism in Kashmir, Freedom movement in Kashmir and, A history of Muslim rule in Kashmir.

Srinagar, October 1
Impressing upon people to change their lifestyle and avoid smoking as well as drinking, Prof Abdul Hamid Zargar, Director, Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, has said this would reduce the mortality rate on account of heart diseases.

Speaking at a function organised in connection with “World Heart Day”, Zargar says rheumatic heart disease is a challenge and this causes death to thousands of persons.

“People suffering on account of rheumatic heart disease need to be hospitalised off and on. The treatment available for such people is costly and same cannot be afforded by people belonging to the lower income strata. We should explore options as how we can sanitise our work places so that people live better lives, both qualitatively and quantitatively,” says the SKIMS Director.

Zargar believes if people avoid conflict of interests, they can live a peaceful life and this will absolve them of unnecessary tension. Referring to “ever increasing” number of heart patients in Kashmir, Dr Khurshid Iqbal, Department of Cardiology-SKIMS, says out of a sample study of 1,326 patients carried out during 2004-2008, 10 per cent of patients fall below the age of 40 years. “Youngest among them is 29 years old and one of the four patients is a woman,” he said.

Jammu, October 1
A Sub-Inspector of the BSF allegedly shot himself dead at a forward post near the border in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district last evening.

Police sources told The Tribune that BSF Sub Inspector Yashpal Singh of Gurdaspur, who was posted at the Chalyari border outpost (BOP) in the Ramgarh sector, allegedly shot himself dead with his service weapon -- an INSAS rifle.

The incident happened around 8 pm yesterday when soldiers on patrol duty heard a sudden burst of fire, said the sources. They rushed to the spot only to find the SI lying in a pool of blood. The official was rushed to a hospital in Ramgarh immediately where doctors declared him brought dead.

SHO, Samba police station, SS Bloeria said the police had investigations under Section 174, Cr PC.

As of now the cause of the incident could not been ascertained, he added. The BSF has also ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.